Oldal 111 [111]
FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 109
Summary
Over the past decades, environmental policies in developed countries have been
clearly dominated by the use of legal instruments, with measures focusing on damage
prevention, pollution reduction and the symptomatic treatment of existing
problems, as well as on visible point sources, even as the pressure on the environment
and the use of natural resources have both increased in absolute terms. In the
context of the rule of law, of course, the law and legal instruments must play a
prominent role; however, this role can only be played effectively by legislation if
society as a whole is aware that the law itself is only an instrument, even though it
is an instrument which has indeed determined the functioning of societies for
thousands of years. It is easy to see that legal instruments should not be taken for
a sort of panacea.
Unfortunately, due to the complexity and interconnectedness of environmental
problems, we still lack sufficient information, scientific evidence, reliable indicators,
and understanding of the workings and drivers of environmental change. We have
no precise knowledge of the limits, nor a clear ability to justify the costs of action
or, where appropriate, inaction. Therefore, much more emphasis should be placed
on the use of other means of raising environmental awareness, on environmental
education and training, on exchanging experience and good practice, on transferring
knowledge and skills, and on persuasion, in addition to (not instead of!) legal
instruments. This will of course have a knock-on effect on the approach of
legislators and practitioners, which could ultimately lead to a further ‘greening’ of
the legal system as a whole.
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